This invention concerns roll handling apparatus for hollow core rolls of a type disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,708,574; 5,468,116; and 4,226,567.
In such apparatus, an internal gripper is inserted in the roll hollow core and gripper elements are expanded to engage the core. The roll can then be lifted by a hoist, and reoriented by a manual adjustment of an angled support arm.
Such apparatus is often used to load heavy rolls onto spindles of textile equipment or other similar machines. It has heretofore been considered desirable to have a xe2x80x9cdockingxe2x80x9d feature, in which the gripper is coupled to a receiving spindle prior to pushing the roll onto the spindle with a pusher cylinder.
The docking feature insures that the spindle and roll core are held together properly aligned and to prevent separation of the spindle and a roll holder when the roll is pushed onto the spindle.
In such prior art devices, the gripper has been comprised of a stepped diameter holder xe2x80x9cnosexe2x80x9d, adapted to be used with two different inside diameter roll cores, i.e., a three inch and six inch inside diameter core, each stepped diameter having a set of expanding fingers pushed out by axial movement of an actuator rod stroked by an air cylinder to grip the core.
The docking feature as previously practiced involved operating the three inch fingers to grip a spindle receptacle, when six inch rolls were being handled. This precluded xe2x80x9cdockingxe2x80x9d when only six inch core rolls were being handled.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,708,574, the orientation of a roll has been carried out with an arm having an angled joint, the roll manually rotated about the joint to be reoriented. Powered reorientation using robots or complex and bulky linkages and power cylinders has been practiced.
It is also desirable to insure that docking and loading has been successfully completed during the process without relying solely on careful observations by an operator.
Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide apparatus for handling rolls of the type described which allows docking with both size roll cores with stepped diameters.
It is a further object to provide an arrangement for insuring that docking and loading has taken place prior to releasing a gripped roll for transfer onto a spindle.
It is a still further object to make handling to reorient the rolls quicker and easier then with the manual methods previously practiced, without requiring bulky or complex equipment.
The above objects as well as others which will be understood upon a reading of the following specification and claims are accomplished by adding a locking ball assembly of smaller diameter than the smaller diameter of a stepped diameter holder for receiving roll cores to be handled, the ball locking assembly projecting from the end of the smallest diameter of the holder.
An actuator rod and air cylinder is used to spread and retract two sets of gripper elements by axial motion of the rod, each set actuated by the rod, which also passes within the ball sleeve assembly. When the stepped diameter holder is maneuvered towards the spindle, the actuator rod end is inserted into a receptacle fixed to the end of the spindle. A compressible insert is contacted when the rod end is fully inserted, blocking air flow out of an internal passage through the end of the rod. The resulting increase in pressure in the passage enables activation of the air cylinder to retract the rod, which releases the gripper elements and also forces the locking balls outwardly to engage the receptacle bore wall. Retraction of grippers releases the roll on the holder to allow the roll to be pushed onto the spindle with a pusher cylinder. Either diameter of the stepped holder may use these docking features.
An angled arm supports the stepped diameter holder, and a rotary actuator has an output shaft extending at the same angle and enables powered rotation of the angled arm to reorient a roll held on the stepped diameter holder.